Toy airplane glider



Jan: 21, 1958 F. H. WHITE v 2,820,322

TOY AIRPLANE GLIDER Filed May 25, less FAAA K H. WH/TE IN VEN TOR.

ms ATTORNEY United States Patent TOY AIRPLANE GLIDER Frank H. White, Rome, N. Y.

Application May 25, 1956, SerialNo. 587,389

3 Claims. (CI. 46-81) This invention relates to toy airplanes and more particularly to a toy glider of the type that is adapted to be launched from a slingshot or other launching aid.

In the toy art it is common in an effort to extend the length of flight time of unpowered toy airplanes such as gliders and the like to propel them into the air with launching means such as slingshots, tow ropes, and the like. By these means the child is able to get the airplane up much higher and thus prolong the duration of the flight.

A principal difficulty with this type of toy glider has been the fact that the controls are normally fixed in a given position prior to launching and thus cannot be adjusted to meet the conditions of flight as the toy airplane returns to ground. In order to gain maximum height the controls are normally adjusted for a relatively straight and level flight of the airplane. This is fine during the ascent permitting the toy plane to be propelled to great heights but as the airplane starts to nose over and come down back to the earth this same control setting tends to make the plane dive straight back to the ground, hitting with great force and often breaking the airplane into pieces.

This obviously is a very undesirable condition and according to the present invention I have provided a very simple mechanism for overcoming this difficulty and for automatically adjusting the principal necessary control element so as to prevent thiscrash diving of the toy glider.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a toy airplane glider that may be launched into the air with slingshots, rope or the like and which will not dive into the ground upon return thereto. It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple control means for the stabilizer of a toy airplane. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a simplified and foolproof control mechanism for toy glider airplanes that will permit launching of the airplane by slingshot and the like and will automatically adjust the stabilizer on the return flight to prevent damage to the airplane caused by its diving into the ground. These and other and further objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a simple model airplane embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation partially in section showing a tail assembly according to the present invention in the normal attitude; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the stabilizer in the elevating attitude.

Referring now to Figure 1, the airplane comprises generally a fuselage portion 12 having therein a main wing slot 14 which has positioned therein a fixed Wing 16 of the usual glider type. Mounted in a vertical fashion on the top side of the tail of fuselage 12 is a conventional rudder 18 which provides the usual lateral stability for the toy The usual weight 20 and a launching notch or ice glider.

slot 22 is provided adjacent the nose of the fuselage 12 to permit launching. with a slingshot mechanism 24 or' similar launching aid.

Referring now to Figure 2 it will be seen that there is an eccentric slot 26 cut in the fuselage adjacent the tail th'ereo'f. Slot 26 has a pair of cooperating surfaces, bottom rear and top front, that are substantially parallel to the plane of the wing 16. A second pair, the upper rear surface and lowerv front surface, of the slot 26 are inclined at an angle to the plane of'the wing 16 such as would produce an elevating effect when the stabilizer is in such an attitude.

Mounted within the slot 26 is a stabilizer 28 which, due to the configuration of slot 26, is in effect pivoted about the midpoint thereof indicated by 30 in Figure 2.

Mounted on stabilizer 28 about the midpoint thereof is a small hollow tube 32 which carries therein a small lead shot or other metal weight 34 which is smaller in diameter than tube 32 and free to roll from one end to the other thereof. Tube 32 is closed at each end sufficiently to prevent the ball or shot 34 from escaping therefrom.

In operation as the toy airplane glider is to be launched it is normally held adjacent the tail in one hand while the launching slingshot 24 is held in the other hand and pointed toward the sky. In this position the ball weight 34 rolls to the rear of the tube 32 and causes the stabilizer 28 to assume the position of Figure 2. This position is maintained after the release of the airplane as long as it is in an ascending attitude. As the toy airplane reaches the top of its trajectory it starts to nose over and return to the earth. As it does so the shot 34 rolls to the forward end of tube 32 and causes the stabilizer 28 to assume the position shown in Figure 3. This attitude of the stabilizer 28 causes the toy glider to pull out or climb from its diving position into a more normal gliding position. Indeed it may even again start to climb causing the process to be repeated again and again thus permitting the airplane to come down by gradual steps to a gentle landing so as not to damage it.

I have thus provided an improved toy airplane glider which is automatically controlled in a simple and economical manner all in accordance with the foregoing objectives.

While I have shown above a certain specific example of this invention and its application in practical use, it should be understood that this is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limiting of the invention. On the contrary, this illustration and explanation herein are given in order to acquaint others skilled in the art with this invention and the principles thereof and a suitable manner of its application in practical use, so that others skilled in the art may be enabled to modify the invention and to adapt and apply it in numerous forms each as may be best suited to the requirement of a particular use.

I claim:

1. A toy airplane glider of the type adapted to be launched by slingshot and the like comprising a fuselage portion, a wing mounted in a slot therein, a non-pivotable rudder mounted in the tail of said fuselage, a notch adjacent the nose of said fuselage for launching said glider, an eccentric slot in the tail of said fuselage, a stabilizer pivotally mounted about a pivot point in said slot, 21 small closed tube mounted on said stabilizer at approximately said pivot point, and a small ball weight positioned in said tube whereby when said glider is in an ascending attitude said stabilizer will be in normal position and when in descending attitude in an elevating position.

2. A device as described in claim 1 wherein said eccentric slot has a pair of cooperating surfaces disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said wing and a pair of cooperating surfaces in a plane disposed at an angle to the plane of said wing.

3. A toy airplane glider of the type adapted to be launched by tow rope, slingshot and the like, comprising a fuselage portion, a wing mounted thereon, a rudder mounted in the tail of said fuselage, launching means adjacent the nose of said fuselage, a pivotally mounted stabilizer positioned in the tail of said fuselage about a pivot point therein, a small substantially closed tube fixed to said stabilizer adjacent said pivot point, said tube being free to pivotally move with said stabilizer about said pivot point, and a small ball weight slidably positioned within said tube, said tube being positioned relative to said pivot 4 point to exert minimum turning moment on said stabilizer when said glider is in a climbing attitude and maximum turning moment when said glider is in a diving attitude whereby when said glider is in an ascending attitude said stabilizer will be in normal position and when in descending attitude in an elevating position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,400,097 Perkins Dec. 13, 1921 2,588,941 Stark Mar. 11, 1952 2,597,521 Pemberton et a1 May 20, 1952 

